Starting valve for engines



latentt-mil lidar. 23, 1926.

UNITED stares PATENT OFFICE.

WESTINGI-IOUSE ELECTRIC PENNSYLVANIA.

ANI) MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF i STARTING VALVEFORIENGINES.

Application Afiled October 30, 1920. Serial No. 420,664.

To LIZZ whom t may concern.'

Beit known that I, RICHARD E. B. WAKE- FIELD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and

a resident of Philadelphia, in the county of' Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania,

have invented a new and useful Improvement in Starting Valves forEngines, of which the followingvis a specification.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines and it hasparticular reference to air starting mechanisms for multi-cylinderinternal combustion engines ofthe Diesel type.

An object of my invention is to provide an efficient starting mechanismfor multicylinder internal combustion engines and more particularly forengines of the Diesel type in which air under pressure is used forstarting the engine.

A further vobject of my invention is to provide an improved andefficient unit construction in an `air starting mechanism so constructedthat ka multi-cylinder engine embodying any number of cylinders may bereadily equipped with my improved starting device without modifying thedesign of the operating mechanism.

,A further object `of my invention is to produce an .air starting valvesimple in operation, durable in construction and automatic in action. Y

These and other objects which will be made aparent throughout thefollowing description are attained by means of apparatus r embodying thefeatures of my invention herein described and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional vie-w of a'valve structure appliedto the head of an internal combustion engine and embodying a preferredform of my invention; Figure 2 is a detailed sectional view on the lineII-II of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a diagrammatic plan view, showing theappliengines, the design of the starting mecha-r vis constructed upon acation of my invention to a multi-cylinder nism must be modified for anygiven number of engine cylinders. My improved device Y unit plan and isdesigned 1n such a manner that a multi-cylindere'ngine of any number ofcylinders may be equipped with my air starting device by associating aunit valve with each engine cylinder, of the several cylinders from asingle manifold and operating the valve movements from a single camshaft. The reciprocating portions of the air valve are constantly inmotion but are held out of Contact with the air admission valve stem'until air under pressure is admitted to the valve. The air acting vupona reciprocable piston throws the reciprocating parts of the valve incontact with the air valve stem and permits theopenlng of the air valveto be controlled from the cam shaft. This provid-es an automaticoperation of the air valves of a multicylinder engine which iscontrolled by the manipulation of a single valve supplying air `to theair manifold.

Referring to Jche drawing, 10 designates a cylinder head to whichis'secured a closure plate 11 provided with a central opening 12. Acylindrical vvalve casing 13 is mounted upon and may be integral withthe closure plate 11. The casing 13 has a iianged upper portion 14 whichis securedlto a cooperating ilange 15 of an upper cylindrical plungercasing 16. Within the valve casing 13 a piston 17 is mounted toreciprocate. A

valve stem 18 rigidly connects the piston 17 with a valve 19 which isarranged to open inwardly into the engine cylinder. The valve 19isnormally held closed by a spring 2O which is arranged to bear againstthe piston 17 and cover plate 11. The valve stem 18 projects through thepiston 17 forming an abutment, the purpose of which will be hereinafterdescribed.

Anl arcuate chamber 21 is formedbetween the flanged members 14 and 15,within which is mounted a disc 22. A 'stem 23 extends in slidablerelation through the disc 22, and is splined to the disc 22 as by a key24 to prevent relative rotation between the disc and the valve stem. Theupper portion of the stem 23 is provided with a threaded portion 25which operatively engages a threaded portion of a plunger 2G. Theplunger 26 and stem 23 are normally held supplying air to the unitvalves in an upper position by a spring 27, which bears against the disc22 and plunger 26. The plunger 26 is provided at its uppermost end witha reduced portion 28 which er? 'be `actuated through a linlr 32 and cam33,

the latter being 'secured to a cam shaft 34. The cam shaft 34 may extendthe length of the engine and serve to operate the starting valves in allthe cylinders by means of in.

dividual cams 33 secured thereto and adjusted to actuate the operatingmechanism of the respective starting valves in proper timed relation. Itmay be preferable, however, to provide a separate cam shaft 34 for eachcylinder.

Y fluid-tight relation Air is supplied to the casing 14 and chamber 21from a manifold 35 which is disposed adjacent to the air valves of allof the engine cylindersandwhich is preferably provided with an airsupply valve 36. The manifold 35 communicates with the valve casing 13through a conduit 37 and with the arcuate chamber 21 through a conduit38. Secured'to the disc 22-and extending within the chamber 21 is aflange or piston 39 which forms an integral part vof the disc 22. Theflange 39 is constructed to oscillate in within the arcuate chamber 21and is normally held near one end of the chamber 21 by means of ahelical spring 40 which serves to press the flange 39 against a stop 41.Air may b-e supplied to the manifold 35 from any suitable source ofcompressed air through a conduit 42 and may be exhausted from themanifold 35 by turning the valve 36 to communicate with a conduit 43which is open to the atmosphere.

Having described the arrangement of the device embodying myinvention,thevoperation thereof is as follows: Air under pressure is admittedbythe manipulation of the valve 36 to the manifold 35 and thence to thecasing 13 and to the arcuate chamber-21. The air acting on one side ofthe flange `39 overcomes the force of the lspring 40 and causes the disc22 and with it the valve stem 23 to move through an angle determined bythe length of the arcuate chamber 21. The angular movement of the stem23 within the plunger 26 causes the stem 23 to be downwardly displacedto contact with the upper end of the stem 18 ofthe valve 19, in whichposition the reciprocating movements of the plunger are communicated tothe air valve 19 so as to open and close the air valve in timed relationto the movement of the engine piston. It is to be understood that whenthe cam 33 is rotated a constant -reciprocation of the lever 29, plunger26 and stem 23 is effected. It follows that when the engine is at rest,t-he lever 29 retains the plunger 26-and stem 23 in one or more of theengineV cylinders in their lower position. At the time air is admittedto the manifold,'the stem 23 is still further lowered by the rotation ofthe disc 22 in a manner described above. This results in the openingk ofan air valve in the cylinder, or cylinders, in which the plunger 26 andstem 23 are at the time of starting held in a lowered position. Air isthus admitted to a cylinder in which the pistonV is in a position to beforced outwardly. As the engine turns over, other cylinders will in turnreceive a charge of starting air in a similar manner. Vvhen the engineis in full operation, a turning ofthe single valve 36 to register withthe exhaust 43 permits the spring 40 to return the flange 39 anddisc 22to their normal position a's determined by the stop 41, thereby raisingthe plunger 26 and the stem 23 so that in their further 'reciprocationthey will not contact with the valve stem 18. The spring 2O insuresvthat the air valve 19 will be closed at all'times, except during thoseperiods vin which' air is supplied to manifold 35.

My improved starting valve is especially advantageous in that it may beapplied to multi-cylinder engines of any type without the use ofcomplicated operating mechanisms exterior to the valve structure. Thisis made possible by providing for cachengine cylinder an.` individualand complete starting mechanism. `It follows that the failure of onevalve to operate-inno way interfered'with the operation of the valves inthe remaining cylinders. This construc-` tion has the further advantageinthe readiness with which any valve may be `removed for repair orreplacement, such exchange of valves Vbeing readily accomplished withoutinterfering with the starting mechanismof the remaining enginecylinders.

TWhile I .have shown my invention in but one form, it will'be obviousIto those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but issusceptible of various other changes and modifications, withoutdeparting 'from the spirit thereof and I desire, therefore, that onlysuch limitations shall be placed there-l upon as are imposed by theprior art Vor as specifically set fort-h inthe appended claims.

l/Vhat I claim is: i

1. An automatically extensible push rod for air valves comprising a stemprovided with a screw, a. non-rotatable nut cooperating with the screw,an air motor adaptedto rotate the stem in one direction, and springmeans to return the stemto its initial position.

2. In an air starting mechanism for internal combustion engines, areciprocating plunger, means operatively connected to a moving enginepart for reciprocating the plunger, an airvalve arranged to be openedand closed by the reciproeation of the plunger, and means for changingtheI etfective length of the plunger, the plunger being so disposed withrelation to the valve that when the ei'ective length of the plunger isincreased the valve will be opened by the reciprocatio-n of the plunger,and When the A plunger is at its shortest effective length, the

valve will not be opened by the reciprocation of the plunger.

3. In an air starting mechanism for 1nternal combustion engines, areciprocating plunger, means operatively connected to a moving enginepart for reciprocating the lunOers. an air valve. arranoed to be ooenedb l b and closed by the rcciprocation of the plunger, a casing `tor thevalve, means for supplyng compressed air to the casing, and means forchanging the effective length of the, plunger, said means comprising apressure responsive device so arranged that when air is admitted to thevalve casing the effective length of the plungervvill be greater, theplunger being so disposed With relation to the valve that When theeffective length or the plunger is increased the valve Will be opened bythe reciprocation of the plunger,

and when the plunger is at its shortest er"- fective length, the valvewill not be opened by the reciprocation of the plunger.

4. An automatically eXtensible push rod for air valves comprising a stemprovided with a screw and adapted to open the valve, a non-rotatable nutcooperating with the screw, an air motor adapted to rotate the stem inone direction, spring means to return the stem to its initial position,and spring' means opposing the valve-opening movement of said stem.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 29th dayof October, 1920.

RICHARD E. B. VVAKEFIELD.

